A Doll For Baby Brynlee...completed !

I've just finished the slippers for Brynlee's doll and she's complete. I'm really happy with this doll, I had so much fun making her and now I can't wait to send it off to baby Brynlee!

 I posted in the early stages that I was going to use the bright patterned pink material that you see on the doll's slipper as the pinafore. But I decided in the midst of making her that I would use the white eyelet that I spied in the fabric store instead, it was too cute to pass up. I of course still held onto the bright pink...I love material ! I knew that I would use it someway, somehow...someday!

 So when I was ready to make the shoes I thought that I would make them black, it seemed the natural thing to do. But I didn't want to have the stark contrast against the soft colors that were already on the doll so then decided to use the patterned pink that I had bought. I love the slippers on her, a great finishing touch, and that's what it's all about...the little things that make each handmade item so special.

I also posted that I would let everyone in on the little trick-tip that I found on the internet for sewing hair into a wig.

Just cut a thin strip of paper! Lay the strands of hair across it and sew down the middle! Position the strip with hair down the middle of the dolls head and tack on with similar colored thread.

If you are not going to add a hat or bow on top of the hair I would add more hair than you see here. I would also use a strip of bias tape or same color material that you've used on the dolls head instead of the paper so that it does not show. I have used a hat so I used less hair and went with the paper.

Another handy tip is about thread, don't skimp when it comes to thread. Spend the extra dollar and buy quality. I've used Coats & Clark since way back when and have always been extremely happy with the outcome. I've cut corners a time or two also and I don't even want to talk about those projects! Suffice to say...buy good thread, you will be happier.

So until the next project, and I have a great feeling that it will be very soon, enjoy whatever artsy crafty idea you may have!

Michelle

 

Brynlee's Doll..another look !

I have a few more pictures that I'd like to post on Brynlee's doll. I have finished the hat and tacked it lightly to her head so that it doesn't come off or get moved out of place. My intentions are for it to be a shelf doll but I'm sure it will make its way down someday! for now it will be sitting pretty!

I have also started a pair of slippers with a bear face that I found in my pattern box, another Simplicity pattern #2491. I used the X-small and still modified by shortening the back end to fit the doll's foot. I love 99cent pattern days at Hobby Lobby, I visit every time I see the ad. I pick up a few, you can only buy 10 at a time, so 10 is my magic number! You never know when you will they will come handy but they eventually do.

Well back to work...I've almost finished every detail. I decided on no buttons for the dress back because they don't show due to the long locks on this lovely baby doll.

I won't even begin to tell you how old these are! .50 cents for 12 buttons!


See you later,

Michelle

 

 

 

Some fun, creative pics for you to view!

Hi...I'm working on my newest doll(s) ! I've been putting together 3...couldn't make up my mind? ;)
I'm also working on a baby quilt for my new grandson that will arrive in November! Just thought I'd drop in and post a few fun pics from the past. Oh and I've just opened my domain...yay! Funk-e-Fragmentz.com....completely, utterly, amazingly.....EXCITED!

a doll in the making

this was a pattern handed down from a friend to my Mom to Me!

Mahdreen in her early stages, not yet realized

Ankri the gypsy

 

And Zandar!

Keep those creative vibes....vibing!

 

Michelle

 

Next segment of "The Making of Mahdreen"

Hello again!  I'm posting more on The Making of Mahdreen today.......

I applied a coat of gessoe and then let it dry, applied 2 more the same way & sanded with fine sand paper after each.

I attached some mystical jeweling to Mahdreen's left hand and painted her face with flesh colored acrylic. I've also added a bit of coloring to her eyes and lips with water color pencils.

These are a few of my favorite things...to work with. Acrylic gessoe, a glue that will hold a wide array of embellishments, watercolor pencils, the chopstick that comes with batting!, cloth tube turner and my hemostats (love these guys a lot). All these items make my life so much easier when I'm making a doll!

I repainted Mahdreen's face a lighter flesh color and started the eye and lip coloring all over again....this is the amazing greatness of creating! You can decided what you do and don't like, its all up to you!

Mahdreen with her hair and outfit. I pieced together all clothing with scrap fabric, following the idea of a doll's pants for her jumper. I then had taken a few small pieces of upholstery fabric (scraps) and sewn them together,....kind of mish mosh..for color effect. I played with it for awhile and ended up folding over two corners to make arm holes, sewed them together and had her coat. I had also by this time repainted her face with more watercolor pencils and started adding embellishments.

The back of Mahdreen's jacket, I gathered the back up a bit to form fit it to her. I've also zigzagged a ribbon onto the edge for another fun effect! As you can see her hair hasn't been trimmed yet.

I added some flesh colored knit to form her breasts, gathered them by a hand stitch and sewed them onto her body. I stuffed them with a small amount of fiberfill, then put on her pantsuit.


Well enough for today......I have the last of few pictures that I will post by Monday! Again if you have any questions for me about the making of Mahdreen or purchasing the pattern with full instructions leave a message and I will get back to you asap. She will also be posted on my Etsy store in the very near future!

Thanks for dropping by,

Michelle

 

Mahdreen the Elder Elf of Wisdom.....COMPLETED!

First a picture of the beautiful Mahdreen, my Elder Elf of Wisdom.....completed!

 She has been the most patient Elf that I've ever known, so many months and a yr have gone by since I began her. She has waited through all my healing from surgery, moving to AZ, getting settled in my new abode and then a few other projects that seem to have jumped ahead of her. Ah, but here she is finally completed and as beautiful as I thought she would be from the inception.

I will post a tutorial on her as best I can, being that she was a personal project I didn't get a step by step picture of her progress. She has gone through many changes as I put her together and played with the possibilities of what she would look like when finished.

This has been a learning experience for me as well in making Mahdreen. As I read more about soft sculptured dolls I came upon new ideas, I mixed them with the picture I had in my vision of her and voila'.........My greatest desire is to add more Elves to Mahdreen & Zandar's world.

Zandar (above), for those who are new to my blog, is my first Elf. Zandar is not my pattern (a pattern from SDA) but his clothing and detailing are. Mahdreen is a pattern drawn by me, as are her sculpting, clothing and detailing.

I will have a tutorial on Mahdreen coming this week! I also have a grandson on the way (November) so I'm making a quilt...my first for both! I will be sure and post on the progression of it and of course make a tutorial out of it as well. I also have a new doll that I've drawn just recently and plan to start that too! Busy, Busy, Busy!

See you soon,

Michelle

Clothes for Mahdreen the Elf of Wisdom

Hello to all :) been away for awhile......had the flu & that hung for several weeks! So I've been officially accepted here in AZ, lol.

Going to post the new clothes that I've made for Mahdreen my female Elf of Wisdom....she's been waiting patiently. I'll be back soon to show you some embellishments that I will have added to her wearables & also hope to have her hair "do" in place, I've taken out her braids for embellishment.

Her outfit is all free hand/formed, the jumpsuit is a pant pattern cutout (from memory) & I've just made the upper section that would have been belted at the waist go a bit longer and brought it past her bossoms :) which i've free formed also (some extra doll body material & poly fill-handstitched to body). I've taken some upholstery material & also some curtain material and made her jacket-no pattern.  

I will embellish as I go and see what happens! I can see her with lots of jewels & some great boots?

Be back soon!

Michelle

P.S. if you have any questions please feel free to send me a note...also patterns are always available even though I've free formed them :) but a little imagination can take you a long way when putting together clothing...there's no end to it!

Mixed Media Art doll workshop

Back from the Art Doll Workshop and I had a great time. They taught everyone how to make a "pin doll" tonight, so I have that to show you. And I also have some new pictures of Mahdreen :) I made eyes as I previously posted and I have put them in and added eyelids.

I gave her face a coat of gesso and let it dry then sanded it once and added another coat. I will sand one more time and then paint her features. I will also work on her hand addition, I'm excited to see what I can come up with. So far I'm loving what she is evolving into, I couldnt be happier.

I'll be brief for now...I'm tired, go figure :) I've been going non stop all day. Up at 8am, working on Mahdreen and then straight into gathering my misc. for the workshop. We meet next thurs and have decided on a Mermaid project. Looks like lots of funnn!

Be back tomorrow with more :)

Michelle

A Cozy Basket for your Baubles

What a great day its been and a busy one at that. I posted my first "rag" product on Etsy and I'm really excited about the possibilities! I posted the beginnings of my basket previously and just last night I made the final stitches :) I love this basket! It was so much fun to make and I couldn't wait to put it in my shop. Please visit Rag Romance by clicking the Rag Romance Banner to the right. I will have more in my shop very soon.

As for my dolls, I am currently working on Mahdreen. She is the female Elder Elf that I began before I left Ohio. What an amazing, beautiful lady she will become. I'm really looking forward to dressing her and creating her face and will post the day to day progress so you can see whats going on with this enchanting woman:)

Mahdreen is a pattern that I have drawn myself and may be one of the first patterns that I put in my Etsy shop as well. I'm working on her forearm and hand at the moment....and funny but as I finished one hand and went to pick up the other....It was missing! SOPHIA!!! she's not admitting it but I think that she knows where Mahdreen's other hand is.

Well back to work!

Oh Happy Days,

Michelle